Alexandria Central High School, Alexandria Bay NY

Original Research by School Decision on Alexandria Central High School

Alexandria Central High School serves grades seven through twelve in Alexandria Bay, a small village resort community on the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region. The school enrolls a small student population with relatively stable grade-level cohorts, about half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with very limited racial and ethnic diversity.

In the most recent state testing, the school shows a mixed profile across grades and subjects. Seventh graders performed reasonably well in English language arts and math, with majorities reaching proficiency. Eighth grade proficiency dropped notably in both math and ELA, falling below halfway in math. Science results for eighth grade were moderate. A parent considering this school may want to look into what changes in instruction or curriculum occur between seventh and eighth grade and what support systems exist for the transitions that appear to struggle.

Across the tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among the twelve school districts in Jefferson County, which is a positive standing regionally. No recent trend data was available to show whether proficiency is moving up or down over time.

The school offers track and field as an athletics program, though comprehensive information about other course offerings, advanced programs, or career and technical pathways was not available in the data provided. High school graduation rate data was not provided, making it impossible to assess post-secondary readiness or completion outcomes. Data on chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, English learner services, and staffing were also not available.

The district recently voted to approve a multi-year capital project to reconstruct and renovate the main school building, bus garage, and related facilities. A separate proposal for a synthetic turf athletic field with stadium amenities did not pass. This capital investment represents a significant commitment to the physical infrastructure families would see their children using. The district also authorized replacement of student buses and transportation equipment through a tax levy.

Alexandria Bay itself is a close-knit seasonal community anchored by tourism, with a walkable village core of locally owned shops, restaurants, and seasonal events concentrated in summer months. The local economy relies heavily on resorts, hotels, boat tour operations, and hospitality work. The broader Jefferson County region also includes agriculture and manufacturing. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to New York state but higher than the national average.

The school's size and rural setting, combined with limited racial diversity and high free-or-reduced-lunch eligibility, reflect a small, economically modest community. The seventh-grade proficiency results suggest the school can bring students to grade-level standards at the entry to middle grades, but the eighth-grade decline warrants direct conversation with administrators about what causes the shift and what intervention or support exists. For families in or considering the Alexandria Bay area, this is the district's only secondary school serving this grade band.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 38 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

New York Regents Exams

4 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Ela	43	86.0%
Social Studies	42	93.0%
Math	19	100.0%
Science	15	93.0%

Math

Grade 772%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolALEXANDRIA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income56%Higher-income81%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income41%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income57%Higher-income76%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income33%Higher-income33%0 pp gap